Polite Dissent

There are days when I’m proud that there are doctors who serve as members of Congress.

Then there are days like today, when I cringe. It seems there are questions about Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s application to renew his Tennessee medical license. Apparently, he didn’t meet the “forty hours of continuing Medical Education” requirement, yet submitted his application stating that he had.

To be fair, this is the first time in his many license renewals that forty hours of continuing education has been required, but on the other hand it’s hard to miss the requirement as it’s plastered all over the renewal application and instruction — not to mention that fact that this requirement has been on the books and discussed since 2002.

Careless mistake or deliberate prevarication? Probably depends on who you listen to and which side you favor.

Either way, it’s not comforting behavior in any physician, let alone the Senate Majority Leader.